Untreated water is turning Boracay green with slime

The once-famous white sands of Boracay are now strewn with slimy green algae—telltale evidence that the resort's waters are heavily polluted.

GMA News' Chino Gaston reported on News To Go on Monday that tourists flocking to the beach to beat the heat this March have so far been disappointed by the thick mats of algae blanketing Boracay's shores.

Residents say the algae eventually disappears during the summer months. pic.twitter.com/c6FbicjKPA

— Chino Gaston (@chinogaston) March 5, 2017

The slimy beach was enough to turn some visitors off from staying.

"First time ko talaga dito sa Boracay. Ine-expect ko talagang makita 'yung green, blue water. Pero nagulat ako nang makita ko 'yung lumot. So first time ko, isang beses lang ako naligo. Hindi na ako bumalik. Personally, tingin ko lang, madumi," one tourist was quoted as saying.

Local residents assured that the algal growths appear annually between January and March, but disappear around summertime.

However, scientists have long warned that such blooms are telltale signs of pollution, since algae thrive on human feces and other detritus.

A 2015 study by scientists from the University of the Philippines, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), directly attributed the algal blooms to the direct discharge of untreated waste water near the shore.

Increased human activity has also contributed to the deterioration of the area's coral reef. — TJD, GMA News